Staggered stack vending machine

ABSTRACT

Internal product storing and dispensing apparatus is provided for a selective vending machine adapted to handle products of various types and sizes in either single or double depth staggered stacks thereof. With longer products such as certain bottled beverages, the products are stored and successively dispensed from the bottom of a single staggered stack for each selection; while, with shorter products such as certain canned beverages, the products for each selection are stored in a double depth pair of staggered stacks and effectively dispensed alternately from the bottoms thereof. The dispensing mechanism for each selection includes a pair of alternately operable members for supporting the stack (or stacks) for that selection through engagement with the lowermost product(s) thereof, depending upon which column of the stack(s) contains such lowermost product(s), and a pair of alternately operable escrowing assemblies below the supporting members for receiving the lowermost product(s) released from the stack(s) upon release of a supporting member and for subsequently discharging such escrowed product(s) successively as the mechanism is cycled. Each mechanism is also preferably provided with its won separate and controllable source of driving power, so that sold-out or jammed conditions involving individual selections can be appropriately provided for without disabling the entire machine.

United States Patent [191 Baxendale STAGGERED STACK VENDING MACHINE Inventor: John W. Baxendale, Kansas City,

[73] Assignee: The Vendo Company, Kansas City,

[22] Filed: Mar. 30, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 346,692

Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Assistant Examiner-Joseph J. Rolla Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Schmidt, Johnson, Hovey & Williams 7] ABSTRACT Internal product storing and dispensing apparatus is provided for a selective vending machine adapted to' [451 Mar. 26, 1974 handle products of various types and sizes in either single or double depth staggered stacks thereof. With longer products such as certain bottled beverages, the products are stored and successively dispensed from the bottom of a single staggered stack for each selection; while, with shorter products such as certain canned beverages, the products for each selection are stored in a double depth pair of staggered stacks and effectively dispensed alternately from the bottoms thereof. The dispensing mechanism for each selection includes a pair of alternately operable members for supporting the stack (or stacks) for that selection through engagement with the lowermost product(s) thereof, depending upon which column of the stack(s) contains such lowermost product(s), and a pair of alternately operable escrowing assemblies below the supporting members for receiving the lowermost product(s) released from the stack(s) upon release of a supporting member and for subsequently discharging such escrowed product(s) successively as the mechanism is cycled. Each mechanism is also preferably provided with its won separate and controllable source of driving power, so that sold-out or jammed conditions involving individual selections can be appropriately provided for without disabling the entire machine.

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1 STAGGERED STACK VENDING MACHINE This invention relates to apparatus for storing and dispensing products from a vending machine or the like and, more particularly, to such apparatus adapted to handling bottled, canned and other generally similarly shaped products of various types and sizes and for selectively dispensing the same from the bottoms of magazines in which such products are stored either in single or in double depth staggered stack fashion depending upon the type and size of the products for each selection to be offered.

Broadly, the primary object of this invention is to provide improved apparatus for the purpose mentioned, which overcomes various limitations and disadvantages of prior staggered stack vending machines, especially with respect to adaptability for efficiently handling various types and sizes of products, structural simplicity, economy of manufacture, and reliability of operation of dispensing mechanism requiring a minimum of driving power. more specific objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter be made clear. or become apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of explanation of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 1

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The term staggered stack, in its full and preferred sense, refers to a storage arrangement for bottled, canned or similarly shaped products in which the products are laterally confined in an upright stack having a pair of laterally offset, partially interleaved columns with .the individual products in successively interengaging relationship and each product (except the uppermost) partially underlying and supporting the product next thereabove in the opposite column (which may or may not also be engaging and partially supported by the next lower product in the same column,

depending upon the product configuration and the related dimension of lateral confinement). As commonly and herein used (unless otherwise expressly indicated), however, the term staggered stack also encompasses variants of the pure form mentioned above, such as where the upper products aremerely hopper'ed or the like or where the upper portions of the column of the stack are merely in side-by-side or even separated (rather than interleaved) relationship with individual products in such upper portions of the columns supported only by the product next therebelow in the same (rather than the opposite) column, in which the mentioned staggered stack relationship is limited to only a lower group of the products. Since the successive dispensing of products from a staggered stack is accomplished from the bottom thereof, by releasing the lowermost product of the stack from its column while retaining the lowest product of the other column against release, and since, when the lowermost product of the stack'is released from its column, the lowest product of the other column then becomes the lowermost product of the stack and must provide support for .all of the remaining products of the stock thereabove (including the product which was next above the released product in the same column as the latter, if the release of more than one product during a single dispensing operation is to be prevented), it is clear that the lower group of products that are required to be in successively interengaging and supporting relationship in a staggered stack must include at least the two lowest products thereof (i.e., the lowermost product of the stack and the lowest product of the other column), with the next to lowest product in the same column as the lowermost product of the stack either engaging and supported by the lowest product of the other column or disposed to move into such relationship as soon as the lowermost product of the stack is released. Although the purer form of staggered stack arrangement is disclosed herein as preferred, the broader sense of the term is also contemplated and intended as within the scope of the invention.

For those not already familiar with the nature of typical prior machines for dispensing products from staggered stacks, reference is made to the following U.S. Patl, which illustrate not only the general course of development of such machines but also specific examples of prior dispensing mechanisms, storage arrangements and product guiding and confining means: Brock No. 2,369,882; Johnson No. 2,585,011, No. 2,585,012, No. 2,762,524, No. 2,814,417, No. 2,929,533 and No. 2,988,246; Manczuk No. 2,743,037; Childers No. 2,836,326, No. 2,877,924 and No. 2,890,813; Keller No. 2,872,071; Tober No 2,942,707; Hunter No. 2,980,288; Torres No. RE-25,321; and Craven No. 3,231,129. As will be appreciated from such patents, the use of staggered stacks for the storage of products to be dispensed from a machine has certain inherent advantages, especially in machines from which a plurality of product types are to be selectively offered. In such machines, an essentially separate mechanism for successively releasing or dispensing products from a supply thereof is required for each product type to be offered. if each such mechanism was associated with only a limited supply of the corresponding product, such as might be contained for instance in a single vertical column of products, it is clear that, for machines of commercially practical size, either the capacity of the machine would have to be seriously restricted for each product selection or the number of releasing mechanisms provided would have to be substantially increased to serve duplicate single columns of the same products. In addition to increasing the number of releasing mechanisms required for a machine of given capacity, the use of single column product storage also increases the amount of internal partitioning required, with consequent adverse effect upon manufacturing time and costs, loading convenience, refrigeration efficiency, etc. Thus, the staggered stack arrangement for storing products to be dispensed has come to be recognized as a practical and desirable solution to the product storage problem, especially in selective machines.

The use of staggered stacks for product storage has, however, presented its own unique set of problems with respect to the provision of suitable mechanism for reliably and efficiently dispensing products from such stacks, particularly when products of a variety of types and sizes are to be handled. The problem of properly confining and guiding products for storage and gravitational advancement in a staggered stack in a manner to minimize jamming thereof has received considerable previous attention, as the above-mentioned patents will attest, with respect to handling some specific type of product configuration; but the problem has remained as to how to accomplish such function with simple and easily adjustable structure that can reliably handle products of various types and sizes in different, basically identical, storage magazines of the same machine or at different times in the same magazine. In selective vending machines of modern type employing electrical controls for product selection among several staggered stacks, it is normally regarded as necessary that the product releasing mechanism for each stack be positively driven or controlled in response to customer selection of a product from that stack. The above-mentioned Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 2,585,01 1, 2,585,012 and 2,814,417, Keller, Hunter and Torres patents illustrate earlier product releasing mechanisms employing a single shiftable roller or bail member with means for driving it alternately from a stack supporting alternately position beneath one to beneath the other column of a staggered stack, while the Childers U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,836,326, 2,877,924 and 2,890,813 and Tober patents illustrate releasing mechanisms employing a driven rockable assembly having a pair of support members thereon adapted to be moved alternately into supporting relationship beneath the respective columns of a staggered stack; although effort was made in some of such mechanisms to reduce the force component of the weight of the stack to be borne or moved by the driving means for such mechanisms, for example through the employment of an expensive compound screw for coupling the roller to its driving means or a brake to resist counter-rotation of a drive shaft, the driving means in each of them was required to be of nature or size and capacity to bear or move a force component of the weight of the stack during at least some part of its operating cycle. The Johnson U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,762,524, 2,929,533 and 2,988,246, which disclose product releasing mechanisms employing a single anti-theft or escrowing element below a single shiftable, roller type, supporting element, are subject to the same adverse influence upon the driving motor for the mechanism just noted. The Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,246 also provides for double-depth storage of products in front and rear staggered stacks, but employs the above-mentioned, driven, shiftable, single, roller type support for simultaneously releasing a product from both the front and rear stacks onto the widened front and narrower rear of a lower single retainer element from which they may be later successively discharged. The Craven patent employs a pair of releasable supporting elements, one below each column of a staggered stack, in conjunction with operable but quite complex and expensive means requiring careful adjustment for controlling their release and repositioning in manner intended to relieve the driving means of the necessity of bearing or moving the weight of the stack; the Craven patent also discloses the storage of products in double-depth banks which, however, are guided and converged into single columns of products (rather than staggered stacks thereof) as they approach the dispensing mechanisms at the bottom of the magazine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, this invention may probably best be categorized as an improvement over the machines of the Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,246 and the Craven U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,129, which appear most nearly among those noted above to have been concerned with comparable operational problems and objectives, although the structures and relationships employed in such prior machines will. be perceived by those skilled in the art to be markedly different in both concept and detail from the apparatus of this invention.

This invention approaches and solves the problems long connected with staggered stack type machines by providing a novel arrangement of separate supporting members below the columns of single or double depth staggered stacks, which are successively released and repositioned in their supporting relationships to the stacks in such manner that the driving motor is completely isolated from the weight of the stacks and serves merely to release one supporting member for gravitional movement under the weight of the stack, after repositioning and locking the other member in its supporting position, but before the weight of the stack is lowered onto the latter; by providing simplified and more reliable dual escrowing assemblies below the supporting members, which are adapted by only minor adjustments for reliably handling double as well as single depth staggered stacks; by providing simplified and improved means for controlling the cycling of the supporting members and the escrowing assemblies during dispensing from either single or double depth staggered stacks; and by providing improved and more convenient means for even relatively unskilled personnel to quickly adapt the apparatus of the invention for handling different types and sizes of products by minor adjustments in the field. Various details of construction of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed for illustrative purposes, although subject to design variations or modification into equivalent forms by those skilled in the art, are deemed of substantial significance and should be noted to include the use of a cam for mechanically positioning, locking in place and releasing the supporting members, the mounting of the shiftable components of the escrowing assemblies for movement directly with the mechanical control cams for the supporting members, the employment of eccentric and rack and pinion couplings for the link connecting the drive motor with the mechanical control cams, the alterable motor switch controlling cams for changing the cycling of the apparatus between single and double depth modes of operation, and the provision of the quick-release means later described for fixing the adjustable rear panels of the magazines in various locations required for various sizes of products.

THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, removed from the cabinet in which it will normally be housed, and with certain parts broken away and others shown in cross-section for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-section view of the apparatus taken on irregular line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in cross-section of a portion of one of the sub-assemblies of the apparatus for handling sold-out and jammed conditions;

FIG. 4 is a downwardly directed cross-sectional view of a portion of the apparatus taken on line 4-4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a,front elevational view of one of the motor control cams of the apparatus showing an alternate position of the adjustable plate thereof in dotted lines;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the motor control cam of FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 is a top planview, with some parts shown in cross-section, of the mechanical control cam and the shiftable components of the escrowing assemblies for one of the magazines of the apparatus, illustrating the escrowing assemblies adjusted for handling a doubledepth pair of staggered stacks;

FIGS. 8-11 are essentially schematic views of the product dispensing mechanism for one magazine of the apparatus, with certain parts thereof shown in elevation, others in vertical cross-section, and others in dotted lines, illustrating, to facilitate explanation, various stages of the cycling of such mechanism when employed to handle a single-depth staggered stack of products; and 7 FIGS. 12-15 are essentially schematic views of the product dispensing mechanism for one magazine of the apparatus, with certain parts thereof shown in elevation and others in vertical cross-section, illustrating, to facilitate explanation, various stages of the cycling of such mechanism when adjusted and employed to handle a double-depth pair of staggered stacks of products.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first primarily to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a preferred embodiment of the apparatus is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 20, it being understood that the apparatus will normally be housed in a suitable cabinet (not shown), which also may house suitable coin deposit handling equipment, electrical power and selection control circuitry, refrigerationequipment and the like that either may be conventional or do not constitute an integral part of the improvements forming the subject matter of this invention and are,therefore, also omitted from the drawings.

The apparatus 20 broadly includes stationary frame and partition structure 22, adjustable product confining and guiding structure 24, product dispensing mechanism 26, and product discharging structure 28.,Sold out and jam handling means are also shown at 30 and briefly described-hereunder for the sake of completeness. i i i The frame and partition structure 22 includes a number of spaced, vertical, front, upper product-retaining strips 32, a lower front panel 34, a lower rear panel 36, a pair of outer sidewalls 38 and 40, and a number of intermediate vertical partitions 42, the strips 32 being mounted on or formed integrally with the front extremities of the walls 38 and 40 and partitions 42 and extending laterally therefrom. Although most aspects of the invention would apply equally to a construction for dispensing only a single product selection and,

therefore, having only a single product storage magazine and corresponding product dispensing mechanism 26, the preferred embodiment illustrated shows apparatus 20 for handling four different product selections. Accordingly, the apparatus 20 presents four product storage magazines 44,46, 48 and 50, each providing an upright, front-to-rearwardly elongated chamber 52 (see FIGS. 8-15) for receiving a plurality of bottled,

canned or similarly shaped products 54 with their axes of general symmetry extending in substantially parallel, forwardly rearwardly directions and at least a lower group of such products disposed in staggered stack relationship within either a single stack thereof (see FIGS. 8-11) or a pair of stacks thereof one behind the other (see FIGS. 12-15). The magazines 44,46,48 and 50-may be essentially identical, apart from the adjustments to their individual configurations permitted and hereinafter discussed in connection with the adjustable confining and guiding structure 24. Each chamber 52, which is open at-the bottom (for product dispensing) and partially open at the front (for product loading), is bounded at its sides by an adjacent pair of the partitions 42 or one of the side walls 38 or and the adjacent partition 42, is sufficiently bounded at its front for retention in the chamber 52 of products 54 in a staggered stack arrangement by the opposed laterally extending strips 32 on the front of the adjacent partitions 42 or/and wall 38 or 40, and is bounded at its rear by an adjustable upper rear panel 56 forming a part of the adjustable confining and guiding structure 24 hereinaf ter more fully described.

The magazines 44, 46, 48 and'50 are preferably each so dimensioned that their chambers 52, measured between their bounding partitions 42 or/and wall 38 or 40, will be of lateral extent sufficient to just accomodate the products 54 of largest transverse dimension to be handled by the chamber 52 in properly staggered stack relationship therewithin. Similarly, the chambers are longitudinally dimensioned, measured between the front retaining strips 32 and the rearmost adjustable position 'of the rear panel 56, to just accomodate a double-depth pair of front and rear staggered stacks of the products 54 of the largest axial dimension to be handled by the chamber 52 in a double-depth stack pair arrangement with proper clearance between such stacks (or, if some product 54 to be handled in a single staggered stackwithin the chamber 52 should be axially longer than any double-depth pair of staggered stacks to be handled therein, the chamber 52 should be sized to accommodate such longest product 54 to be handled).

Since various types of products 54 that it may be desired to offer as selections from the apparatus 20 may correspondingly vary in their diameters or other transverse dimensions, and since the lateral spacing between adjacent partitions 42 and/or wall 38 or 40 is determined by the transversely largest products 54 to be handled, provision for appropriate adjustment of the effective lateral extent of at least a lower portion of each chamber 52 may be needed, in order to assure maintenance of a proper staggered stack relationship of at least a lower group of transversely smaller products 54 within the lower part of such chamber 52 (with which a corresponding dispensing mechanism 26 is associated, as hereinafter described). This is accomplished in the apparatus 20 by a pair of removable chamber width adjusting elements 57 forming a part of the confining and guiding structure 24 and adapted for quick and easy emplacement within each chamber 52 alongside the lower part of the bounding partitions 42 and/or sidewall 38 or 40 thereof. As best shown in FIGS. 2, 8 and 9, the elements 57 are inwardly tapered adjacent their tops as at 58, are preferably somewhat thicker in an upper section 60 than in a lower section 62 thereof, and are outwardly tapered as at 64 from the upper section 60 to the lower section 62 thereof; this construction has been found most reliable for initially urging products 54 of relatively smaller transverse dimension into a definite and proper staggered stack relationship as they progress downwardly in a chamber 52 as products therebelow are dispensed, and for then slightly reducing the degree of lateral confinement on such products 54 as they approach the bottom of the chamber 52 to assure freedom for proper interaction with and positive release from the adjacent elements of the dispensing mechanism 26 hereinafter described. The width adjusting elements 57 are removably held in place by the passage of a front tab 64 thereon through an appropriately located slot 66 in the lower front panel 34 and by the reception of a rear tab 68 thereon within an open-topped bracket 70 on the lower rear panel 36. Although more than one pair of elements 57 of different thicknesses may be provided for alternate use in each chamber 52, it has been found that a .single pair of elements 57 will normally be sufficient to accommodate the standard sizes of bottles and cans used for a general class of products, such as soft drinks, in a particular geographical area.

A somewhat greater variation is to be anticipated, however, in the lengths or axial dimension of the various products 54 that are to be made available as product selections in any given locale, especially as between bottled and canned products. Thus, the apparatus should be capable of handling, for example, not only bottled products of differing lengths in a single depth staggered stack within any magazine 44, 46, 48 or 50, but also double-depth pairs of staggered stacks of relatively shorter canned products of possibly differing axial dimension with a small separation between the stacks. This capability is provided by the adjustable product confining and guiding structure 24 in the form of the adjustable upper rear panels 56. The panel 56 for each magazine 44, 46, 48 and 50 is identical and is adapted not only for quick and convenient adjustment within the latter, but for strength and stability in any position to which it is adjusted. Each panel 56 is provided adjacent its top with a pair of opposite, laterally extending tabs 72 adapted to be removably received within any 'of a forwardly-rearwardly extending series of open-topped notches 74 in the upper edge of each of the walls 38 and and partitions 42, for adjustably and releasably fixing the forward-rearward position of the top of the panel 56.

Each of the walls 38 and 40and partitions 42 is also provided with a forwardly rearwardly extending series of upright slots 76 spaced below the notches 74 therein and approximately halfway down the height of the corresponding chamber 52. Each panel 56 carries a pair of laterally reciprocable members 76 and 78, one above the other, which are yieldably biased in opposite directions by a spring 80 therebetween interconnected with both of them. The upper member 76 carries a tab 82 at the end thereof which is biased laterally outwardly, and the lower member 78 is similarly provided with a tab 84 thereon at its opposite end. When the members 76 and 78 are in their laterally extended positions, toward which they are normally biased, the tabs 82 and 84 are respectively received within corresponding slots 76 of the pair of partitions 42 or/and wall 38 or 40 within which the panel 56 is installed, for adjustably and releasably fixing the forward-rearward position of an intermediate level portion of the panel 56.

The members 76 and 78 are desirably provided with oppositely facing finger notches 86 and 88 therein,

which facilitate the temporary manual movement of the members 76 and 78 laterally inwardly to release the tabs 82 and 84 from the slots 76 when it is desired to readjust the position of a panel 56. Once the tabs 82 and 84 are so released, it is a simple matter to raise and relower the panel 56 to reposition its tabs 72 in other selected notches 74 and its tabs 82 and 84 at other selected slots 76 before releasing the members 76 and 78 for reseating of the tabs 82 and 84 in the newly selected slots 76. The panels 56 are usually adjusted into the required forward-rearward position within a chamber 52 so as to extend vertically thereof, and the notches 74 and slots 76 are disposed relative to each other to permit such vertical disposition of the panels 56, which once so installed are firmly retained by the structures and relationships mentioned against undesired forward-rearward tilting thereof. In order to also provide stability of the panels 56 against side-to-side tilting, however, each panel 56 is desirably provided with a lower, laterally extending member 90 thereon, which is secured to the panel 56 below the members 76 and 78 and extends laterally beyond the side edges of the panel 56 sufficiently to engage either of the partitions 42 or/and wall 38 or 40 defining the sides of the chamber 52 before any substantial lateral swinging of the lower part of the panel 56 can occur. Without the member 90, and especially if the biasing action of spring 80 is somewhat stronger on one or the other of the members 76 or 78, it will be seen that some lateral tilting of the panel 56 could occur.

It should, therefore, be appreciated, as attention is next turned to the important improvements in dispensing mechanism represented by the mechanism 26 now to be described, that the preferred construction for the frame and partition structure 22 and the adjustable confining and guiding structure 24 heretofore described, although subject to design modification by those skilled in the art and not absolutely essential to the utility and many of the advantages of the improved mechanism 26, is nevertheless believed significant to the overall improvement of product-handling apparatus most broadly contemplated by the invention. Thus, although the improved mechanism 26 could certainly be, and in some applications probably will be, used to advantage with chambers 52 of fixed size each adapted to accommodate only a single, predetermined type or size of products 54, the provision also of the preferred structures 24 and 26 clearly will result in apparatus 20 of even more greatly enhanced versatility readily adapted to the needs of users in various localities with a variety of product types and sizes to be handled.

The improved dispensing mechanism 26 provided for each magazine 44, 46, 48 and 50 includes, preferably, its own selectively operable prime mover in the form of an electric motor mounted on the lower front panel 34. The motor 100 is provided with conventional power leads (not shown) adapted for coupling with the selection and control circuitry of the apparatus 20 (which may be conventional and is represented in the drawings only by certain switch and other electrical components hereinafter identified). The drive shaft 102 of motor 100 is coupled through a reduction gear box 104 with a driven power shaft 106 of the latter.

The power shaft 106 carries thereon for rotation therewith a hub 108, a switch-operating cam assembly 110 having a disc 112 secured to the hub 108 and an irregularly shaped plate 114 that is adjustable relative to the disc 112 as hereinafter described, and a crank stub shaft 116 located eccentrically with respect to the shaft 106 and hub 108 (see: FIGS. and 6 also). The disc 114 is provided with four camming notches 118, 120, 122 and 124 in its circumferential edge, with the notch 122 displaced 180 from the notch 118, the notch 124 displaced 180 from the notch 120, and notches 120 and 124 being-displaced somewhat less than 90 from notches 118 and 122 for reasons later more fully explained in connection with the doubledepth stack mode of operation.

A control switch 126 having a cam-follower actuating arm 128 is fixedly mounted in position disposing the arm 128 to be controlled by the cam 110, and specifically by appropriate ones of the notches 118, 120, 122 and 124. The switch 126 is so connected with the power leads of the motor 100 that, after operation of the motor 100 has been initiated by the general control circuitry for a brief period sufficient to turn the cam 110 far enough for the arm 128 to emerge from one of the notches 118 etc., actuation of the switch 126 by its arm 128 being cammed onto a circular portion of the periphery of cam 110 will complete a holding circuit for the power leads of the motor 100 to maintain the latter energized and running until the arm 128 enters the'next of the notches 118 etc., to be encountered.

It will be understood, therefore, that the running of motor 100 for a period sufficient to turn the cam 110 to align the next of the notches 118 etc., that is being used with the arm 128 represents a discreet dispensing cycle of the mechanism 26. For double-depth pairs of product'stacks, all four notches 118, 120,122 and 124 are employed with the rotation of cam 110 for each cycle being either somewhat more or somewhat less than 90 depending upon the particular cycle involved as hereinafter explained. However, for dispensing from a single-depth product stack, only a single pair of notches 120 and 124 of the cam 110 are needed, and the rotation of the eaml for each cycle is 180. In order to provide for convenient adjustment of the mechanism 26 for either single or double stack modes of operation, the plate 114, which is releasably secured relative to the disc 112 as by a screw 130 passing through an arcuate slot 132 and into the disc 112 or hub 108, may be shifted between and resecured in either the double-depth position clearing all four notches 118 etc. and shown in solid lines in FIG. 5, or the single stack position masking notches 118 and 122 and shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5. i

A generally upright link 134 is pivotally connected adjacent its upper end with the crankshaft 116, and, as will be apparent, during each cycle of operation and corresponding partial rotation of the shaft 106 and cam 110, the link 134 will be correspondingly moved in a generally upright direction (several different positions being illustrated in FIG. 1). The link 134.has a lower, internal cutout 136 provided with a toothed rack 138 along one upright edge thereof. Operably meshed with the rack 138 is a segmental pinion 140 secured to a short shaft 142 journalled in the lower front panel 34 and having a mechanical control cam 144 behind the panel 34 and also secured to the shaft 142 for rotation therewith. As will be clear from FIG. 1, the link 134, rack 138 and pinion 140 serve merely to rock the shaft 142 and control cam 144 through a partial revolution in one direction and then the other, rather than to fully rotate the same.

The control cam 144 has a stem portion 146 between *a pair of arcuate notches 148 and 150 leading oppositely to circularly curved, circumferential cam surfaces 152 and 154 respectively (see: magazine 44 of FIG. 1, wherein the components in front of the cam 144 are broken away in the drawing). The effective configuration of the cam 144 and its working relationship to other parts of the mechanism 26 shortly to be described are very significant to attaining support of products 54 in the magazines 44 etc., without the weight of the products 54 ever having to be lifted or borne by the motor 110 through the link 134, rack 138 and pinion 140.

A pair of product-supporting assemblies 156 and 158 are provided for each magazine 44 etc., adjacent the bottom and at the left and right sides thereof. The left supporting assembly includes a front arm 160 pivoted as at 162 on lower front panel 34 adjacent the left partition 42 or wall 38 and extending behind the cam 144 (FIG. 1), a rear arm 164 pivoted as at 166 on the lower rear panel 36 (FIG. 4), and a product-supporting member 168 interconnecting the arms 160 and 164 and extending from front to rear beneath the chamber 52 (FIG. 4). Thus, as perhaps most clearly shown in FIGS. 8-15, the left product-supporting assembly 156 for each chamber 52 is adapted to swing as a unit between a lowered releasing position and a raised product-supporting position disposing the support member 168 beneath the left column of a staggered stack (or stacks) in the chamber 52. The position of the assembly 156 is controlled and maintained by a cam follower roller 170 carried on the front of the front arm 160 and extending into operative engagement with the control cam 144. When the cam 144 moves into a position receiving the follower roller 170 in the notch 148, the support assembly 156 is lowered to its releasing position; and when the cam 144 is moved into a position disposing its circularly curved surface 152 beneath the roller 170, the assembly 156 is maintained in its product-supporting position solely by the rolling engagemer t of the roller 170 upon the cam surface 152 therebeneath.

Similarly, referring particularly to FIG. 2, the right product supporting assembly 158 of each mechanism 26 includes a front arm 172 pivoted at 174, a rear arm 176 pivoted at 178, a supporting member 180 extending between arms 172 and 176 and a cam follower roller 182 on the arm 172, all of which bear the same general relationships to notch 150 and circularly curved surface 154 of cam 144 and to the right column of products 54in a staggered stack (or stacks) thereof in the chamber 52 as heretofore explained for the left supporting assembly 156.

Beneath the level of the releasable productsupporting assemblies 156 and 158 of each mechanism 26 are a pair of left and right escrowing assemblies respectively including stationary parts 184 and 186 and movable components 188 and 190 (it being noted to avoid possible confusion that the movable component 188 of the left escrowing assembly 156 is disposed further to the right than the movable component 190 of the right assembly 158, and vice versa). The stationary part 184 of the left escrowing assembly is in the general nature of an angle strip secured to the frame structure 22 and includes an upstanding leg 192 and an intumed leg 194 both extending forwardly and rearwardly beneath the left side of the magazine 44 etc.

The stationary part 186 of the right escrowing assembly, which backs up to and may be formed with the stationary part 184 of the left escrowing assembly for an adjacent magazine 46, etc., similarly includes an upstanding leg 196 and an inturned leg 198. The movable components 188 and 190 of the left and right escrowing assemblies respectively are in the nature of spaced bars secured at their front ends to the rear of the cam 144 by of a bight 200 and extending rearwardly through openings 202 and 204 in lower rear panel 36 to a rear bight assembly 206 pivoted to the panel 36 as at 208 in alignment with the axis of shaft 142 pivotally mounting cam 144 on lower front panel 34, together with bar width adjusting elements releasably secured thereto. As best shown in FIG. 4, the width adjusting elements 210 and 121 for bars 188 and 190 respectively extend substantially the full length of the bars 188 and 190 and are releasably fastened thereto by screws or the like as at 214, this being the arrangement used for handling a single depth staggered stack. As best shown in FIG. 7, wherein the width adjusting elements are designated 210 and 212', it will be noted that the element 210' extends only along a rear portion of the bar 188, and the element 212 extends only along a forward portion of the bar 190, which is the manner in which the escrowing assemblies should be adjusted for handling a double-depth pair of staggered stacks as hereinafter more fully explained. The cooperative action between the stationary parts 184 and 186 of the escrowing assemblies and their respective movable components 188-210 and 190-212, as well as the operative relationship thereof to the supporting assemblies 156 and 158 will also be further detailed later in explaining the operation of the mechanisms 26. For the moment, therefore, it is merely noted that the left escrowing assembly 184-188-210 is adapted to receive and hold a product 54 released by the right supporting assembly 158 from the bottom of the right column of a staggered stack, then discharge such product between the left and right movable components 188 and 190; while the right escrowing assembly 1861902l2 bears a similar relationship to the left supporting assembly 156 and the left column of the staggered stack.

The product discharging structure 28 of the apparatus is in the nature of a gathering chute extending beneath all of the magazines 44 etc., and adapted to receive products 54 from any of the dispensing mechanisms 26 and guide such products to a discharge point from the machine in which the apparatus 20 is installed, so that a product selection from any of the magazines 44 etc., may be vended to a common point of customer access thereto.

The sold-out and jam-handling means 30 normally provided in this general class of dispensing equipment may be of any suitable form. For purposes of illustration, however, it is briefly noted that the preferred embodiment of apparatus 20 employs a pivoted feeler 216 extending into each chamber 52, which feeler 216 is spring-biased toward the position illustrated in FIG. 2 and, unless there are products 54 remaining in the chamber 52 to maintain the feeler 216 swung to a more clockwise position thereof, it will actuate a switch 218 coupled with the powerleads of the motor 100 or the selection circuitry of the corresponding mechanism 26 to deactivate the latter without affecting any of the other mechanisms for different product selections, as well as to normal activate some sort of sign indicating that the selection whose supply of products 54 has been depletedis sold-out. With the improved apparatus 20 and its novel but highly reliable dispensing mechanisms 26, the likelihood of any jamming of products 54 within a chamber 52 or the mechanism 26 associated therewith is so greatly reduced, as compared with conventional equipment of this class, that provision for such a condition is probably desirable mainly to satisfy the commercial demand therefor that carries over from experience with jamming in earlier types of equipment and to provide such protection in case it might be needed in severely adverse special environments. The assembly 30 therefore provides a solenoid 220 energizable after a period longer than a normal dispensing cycle in the event that a normal cycle has not been completed, and adapted, when energized, to lift a latch 222 whose pin 224 clears a stop shoulder 226 on a pivoted element228 which then swings under the influence of a spring 230 to a position for actuating a jam switch 232 coupled with appropriate control circuits'for deactivating the corresponding selection circuitry and mechanism 26 and giving some suitable indication of the existence of such condition. The provision of separate mechanisms 26 and sold-out or jam condition handling means 30 for each product selection renders each selection independently operable so that the control circuitry need not deactivate the entire apparatus 20 in the event of a fault condition with some individual selection.

The operation of the apparatus will now be described first with reference to the dispensing of products 54 from a magazine 44 etc. adjusted for handling a singledepth staggered stack.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 8-11, it will be seen that a single stack of products 54, such as beverages packaged in bottles, is arranged in staggered stack from within a chamber 52 of the apparatus 20 presented between adjacent partitions 42. The stack of products includes a left column containing, from the bottom up, products l-L, 2-L, etc. and a right column similarly including products l-R, 2-R, 3-R, etc. Product l-L is the lowermost product 54 of the left column of the stack, and product l-R is the lowermost product of both the right column and the staggered stack as a whole. The product confining and guiding structure 57 sufficiently restricts the lateral dimension of the chamber 52 that at least a lower group of products l-R, l-L, 2-R and 2-L are in a pure staggered stack relationship with product l-L interengaging and supported by product l-R, product 2-R interengaging and supported by product l-L, and product 2-L is interengaging and supported by product 2-R. The entire staggered stack is, as shown in FIG. 8, supported by the support member of the right product-supporting assembly 158, which is disposed below the lowermost product l-R of the stack that in turn successively supports the other products in both columns of the stack thereabove. In the condition of the dispensing mechanism 26 shown in FIG. 8, it will be understood that the cam follower roller 182 is disposed well toward the right end of the circularly curved surface 154 of the cam 144, substantially as illustrated in FIG. 1 for the leftmost mechanism 26 associated with the magazine 44. Thus, the stack l-R, l-L, 2-R, etc. has its entire weight supported by the member 180 through the interengagement of follower roller 182 with surface 154 of cam 144.

It should also be noted that, in the condition of the mechanism 26 shown in FIG. 8, the cam following actuating arm 128 of the switch 126 will be received within one or the other of the notches 120 and 124 in the cam 1 10, so that the motor 100 will be stopped and the mechanism 26 will be in one of its standby conditions. Also, in FIG. 8, an escrowed product O-L, which has previously been released from the left column of the stack, is shown being held in escrow by the right escrowing assembly of the mechanism 26, by virtue of the opposite engagement with and confinement of the product O-L between the upper leg 196 of the stationary part 186 and the width adjusting element 212 of the movable component 190 of the right escrowing assembly. It is observed that, with bottles of common diameters, the width adjusting elements 210 and 212 are normally employed, although it will be seen that, for bottle products 54 of unusually large diameter, the movable bar parts '188 and 190 of the escrowing assemblies are themselves adapted to cooperate'with the stationary parts of such assemblies for retaining such a product 54 in escrow.

FIG. 9 illustrates an interim stage of the next cycle of the mechanism shown in FIG. 8, such as would occur upon a customer selection of the type of product to be dispensed from the stack in question. The general disposition of the various parts of the mechanism 26 corresponding to FIG. 9 is illustrated in the mechanism associated with the magazine 46 in FIG. 1, and it will be understood that the motor 100 has been energized and is running with the switch actuating arm 128 riding the circular periphery of a segment of cam 110 and the link 134, rack 138 and pinion 140 being in the process of rocking the cam 144 back in a. clockwise direction from its essentially most counterclockwise position occupied while the mechanism 26 was in the condition illustrated in FIG. 8. It will be noted in FIG. 9 that the follower roller 182 is still riding upon the circular surface 154 or cam 144 and that the product-supporting member 180 is still supporting the product l-R, which in turn successively supports products l-L, 2-R, 2-L, etc. The follower roller 170, that has previously been deeply seated within notch 184 of cam 144 is, however, starting to emerge from the notch 148 toward the circular surface 152 of cam 144, thereby also raising the left supporting member 168 from its released position shown in FIG. 8 toward its product-supporting position as illustrated in FIG. 10. It is significant, however, that during such raising of the supporting member 168, the lowest productl-L of the left column of the stack is still being supported by the lowermost product l-R, so that the supporting member 168 is not required to bear or lift any weight during the time that it is being raised toward its product-supporting position.

As the mechanism 26 passes through the stage illustrated in FIG. 9, the clockwise rotation of the cam 144 carries the movable component 190-212 of the right escrowing assembly toward the left and away from the stationary part 186 of that right escrowing assembly, thereby clearing the previously escrowed product O-L forgravitational discharge into the product gathering and discharge chute structure 28 for delivery to the customer whos has made a selection for receiving a product of that type.

FIG. shows a subsequent, but still interim, stage of the operating cycle commenced in FIG. 9 corresponding generally to the condition of the mechanism 26 illustrated in conjunction with magazine 48 in FIG. 1. The cam 144 has now been further rocked in a clockwise direction sufficiently that the follower roller 170 of the left supporting assembly 156 is riding upon the circularly curved surface 152 of cam 144, and the left supporting member 168 has been fully restored to and is being held by the follower 170 and cam 1444 in its product-supporting position beneath the product l-L and in readiness for receiving the latter whenever it is sufficiently lowered to engage the supporting member 168. Meanwhile, the cam follower roller 182 of the right supporting assembly 158 is leaving the circularly curved surface 154 of cam 144 and is commencing to enter the notch 150, which is thereby commencing to release the right supporting assembly 158 for downward counterclockwise swinging movement of the right supporting member 180 toward its release position illustrated in FIG. 1 1. During this phase of the operating cycle with a single-depth stack of products, it will be noted that the escrowing assemblies are momentarily inactive insofar as handling any product 54 is concerned, but are proceeding toward the dispositions illustrated in FIG. 11 for again receiving a product in escrow ready for discharge upon a subsequent product selection and during the next product dispensing cycle.

FIG. 11, which corresponds generally to the condition of the mechanism 26 associated with the magazine 50 in FIG. 1, shows the conclusion of the operating cycle illustrated in progress in FIGS. 9 and 10 and represents the standby condition of the mechanism 26 at the end of such cycle. Stabilization of the mechanism .26 in such standby condition is brought about by the de-energization of the motor when the switch actuating follower 128 of the switch 126 enters the next notch or 124 of the cam 110. Shortly prior to the conclusion of the cycle and the stopping of the motor 100, the final clockwise rocking motion of the cam 144 had so aligned the notch thereof with the follower roller 182 of the right supporting assembly 158 that the latter was released for movement to its released position illustrated in FIG. 11. Upon the release of the right supporting assembly 158, the supporting member was moved to a position clearing the product l-R for gravitational movement downwardly into initial contact with the bar 188 of the movable component of the left escrowing assembly, and thence into an escrowed position as illustrated in which the product l-R is held in escrow between the upright leg 192 of the stationary part 184 and the width adjusting element 210 of the movable component 188-210 of the left escrowing assembly. It will be observed that, for products of somewhat smaller diameter than illustrated in FIGS. 8-11, the engagement and holding of the escrowed product by the stationary part 184 (or 186) of the active escrowing assembly would be accomplished by the inturned leg 196 (or 198) thereof, rather than the upstanding leg 192 (or 196) thereof. With the mechanism 26 in the. standby condition of FIG. 11, it will be seen that the lowest product l-L of the left column of the staggered stack has become the lowermost product 54 of the stack, replacing product l-R when the latter was released into escrow condition, it being understood that the product l-L was lowered into supported relationship upon the left supporting member 168 as the previously lowermost product l-R of the stack was released from the stack into escrow.

The next operating cycle of the mechanism 26 is essentially similar in all respects to the cycle described in FIGS. 8-11, except that the cam 144 will be rocked back in a counterclockwise direction so that the various operations are oppositely oriented, in a left-right sense, to those described in connection with FIGS. 8-11, and the oppositely oriented components are the active ones. At the conclusion of the next operating cycle of the mechanism 26 it will be restored to the cycle concluding or standby condition illustrated in FIG. 8. The mechanism 26 thus operates during successive cycles of actuation thereof to discharge a single product 54 previously placed in escrow for that selection and to release the previously lowermost product 54 of the stack into escrow from whichever column it had previously been in, thereby rendering the lowest product 54 of the opposite column the lowermost product of the stack on which all of the higher products in the stack are effectively supported.

The operation of the mechanism 26 for a magazine 44, etc., that is handling products 54, such as canned beverages, in a double-depth pair of staggered stacks will now be discussed. Essentially, most of the relationships involved in the handling and dispensing of products in a pair of front and back staggered stacks are generally similar to those above described for single stack operation. However, certain adjustments will normally be required, depending upon the size of the products being handled. For example, with canned products of the most common types, the product diameter is larger than for a bottle product, and the width adjusting elements 57 will be removed from the chamber 52. Similarly, for handling double-depth stacks the width adjusting elements 210 and 212 (see: FIG. 7) will be substituted for the width adjusting elements 210 and 212 used for single stack dispensing. Also, the shiftable plate 114 of the cam 110 will be moved from the dotted-line to the solid-line position shown in FIG. 5, when a pair of double-depth product stacks are to be handled, thereby clearing all four of the notches 118, 120, 122 and 124 of the cam 110 for interaction with the cam following actuating arm 128 of the switch 126.

It is difficult to illustrate in the schematic drawings of FIGS. 12-15 the interrelationship between the front and rear staggered stacks of products 54, since one lies directly behind the other; however, the distinction is of interest primarily in connection with the escrowing aspect of the operation of the mechanism 26, and the escrowed products 54 in FIGS. 1215 will be identified as to which of the stacks they came from. In the initial standby condition of FIG. 12, which essentially corresponds to the condition shown in FIG. 8 for single stack dispensing, the lowermost product 54 in the right column of the front stack is identified as l-R, the lowest product in the left column of the front stack is marked l-L, and the product 54 directly above product l-R in the front stack is labeled 2-R. In the escrowing portion of the mechanism 26 shown in FIG. 12, two products are shown being simultaneously escrowed, and these are products labeled F-O-L that has previously been released from the left column of the front stack, and product R-O-L that has previously been released from the left column of the rear stack.

In FIG. 12, the supporting member 180 is supporting both the lowermost product l-R in the right column of the front stack and the lowermost product immediately therebehind in the right column of the rear stack. The front escrowed product F-O-L is being held between the movable component 212' of the right escrowing assembly and the upper leg 196 of the stationary part 186 of that assembly, while the rear escrowed product R-O-L is being held in escrow between the bar 190 of the movable component and the upstanding leg 196 of the stationary part 186 of the right escrowing assembly. Thus, it will be noted that the rear product R-O-L is disposed in somewhat greater readiness for discharge upon initial clockwise movement of the movable component 190-212 of the right escrowing assembly than is the front escrowed product F-O-L.

In contrast with the interim stage showings of FIGS. 9 and 10 with respect to single stack dispensing, FIG. 13 shows the mechanism 26 at the end of the next cycle of operation, which is a second standby condition existing when the cam has advanced sufficiently for the actuating arm 128 of switch 126 to have moved out of the notch 124, across the adjacent circular segmental surface of cam 110 and into the next notch 122 of the cam 110. In moving from the condition of FIG. 12 to the condition of FIG. 13, the primary action that occurs is that the bar 190 of the movable component of the right escrowing assembly has moved clockwise a distance sufficient for discharging of the rear, previously escrowed product R-O-L from the right escrow assembly, but a distance insufficient for release of the front escrowed product F-O-L from its escrowed disposition of engagement with the element 212 and the intumed leg 198 of the stationary part 186 of the right escrowing assembly. It may also be noted that the left supporting member 168 has started its movement back toward its product-supporting position in FIG. 13, by virtue of the interaction of the follower 170 with the cam 144, although no products are yet supported by the left supporting member 168.

FIG. 14 illustrates the condition of the mechanism 26 in an interim stage during which the cam 110 is moving in a clockwise direction and the actuating follower arm 128 of the switch 126 is riding upon the circular segmental surface of cam 110 between the notches 122 and 120 thereof. At this stage of the second of the operating cycles being described, the left supporting member 168 is fully restored to its productsupporting position but no products 54 have yet been lowered into supported engagement thereupon, both the front and the rear stacks still being supported by the right supporting member 180. The most significant action occurring at the stage of the cycle illustrated in FIG. 14 is that the movable element 212' has now progressed sufficiently away from intumed leg 198 of the stationary part 186 of the right escrowing assembly that the product F-O-L previously retained in escrow in FIG. 13 from the front stack is now cleared for gravitational discharge to the discharge chute 28.

The end of the second cycle of operation is illustrated in FIG. 15, which is another cycle completing or standby condition of the mechanism 26. In FIG. 15 it will be seen that the right product-supporting member has been released to its product-releasing position thereby permitting the previously lowermost product l-R from the front stack to move into escrowed condition as the product labeled F-l-R in FIG. 14, while simultaneously permitting the previously lowermost product from the right column of the rear stack to move into escrow as the productlabeled R-l-R. Escrowed product F-l-R is held in escrow between the upright leg 192 of the stationary part 184 of the left escrowing assembly and the bar element 188 of the movable component of the same assembly, while the escrowed product R-l-R is held in escrow between the upstanding leg 192 and the width adjusting element 210' of the left escrowing assembly. Similarly to the condition illustrated in FIG. 12, it will be noted that escrowed product F-l-R in FIG. '15 is somewhat closer to being released by the left escrowing assembly than the escrowed product R-l-R, when the movable component 188-210 of the left escrowing assembly next commences to move in a counterclockwise direction.

It will also be observed that during the progress of the mechanism 26 from the condition of FIG. 14 to the condition of FIG. 15, both the lowest product l-L of the left column of the front stack and the product 54 immediately there-behind in the left column of the rear stack will have been lowered simultaneously into supported relationship resting upon the left supporting member 168, the theepreviously lowermost products of theright column of the front and rear stacks were released by the supporting member 180 for movement into the escrowed dispositions thereof just above described.

During the next orthird cycle of operation of the mechanism 26 when handling double-depth stacks, the motor 100 ,will be energized to move the cam 110 until the actuating arm 128 for switch 12.6.has moved from notch 120 into the notch 1 18. During such third cycle, the action of the mechanism 266 will be similar to that depicted in FIG. 13 but oppositely oriented in a leftright sense, and the front escrowed product F-l-R will be discharged while the rear escrowed component R-l-R is retained in escrow, during which action the left supporting member 168 continues to support both stacks. Then, in the next or fourth cycle of operation during which the mechanism 26 is restored to the condition illustrated in FIG. 12, the action will be similar to that shown in FIGS. 14 and .15, but oppositely oriented, and the then lowermost product l-L in the-left column of the front stack and the product 54 immediately therebehind will be released by the supporting member 168 into escrowed disposition within the right supporting assembly and the lowest product 2-R of the front stack and the product 54 therebehind will be low-' ered into supported relationship upon the supporting member 180 that will have been previously restored to its supporting position. At the completion of such fourth cycle the switch actuating arm 128 will again be in the notch 1240f cam 110 and subsequent operations of the mechanism 26 will continue to successively sequence in the order described as further customer selections of a product from the particular magazine 44 etc. are made.

Two special operating advantages of the preferred construction of the apparatus deserve special note. First, it should. be observed-that the mechanisms 26 are of nature permitting double-depth pairs of front and rear staggered stacks of products 54 to be handled reliably in thesame magazine chamber 52, without any necessity for providing an upright lateral divider parti tion betweenthe front and rear stacks as is conventionally done in equipment for handling double-depth pairs of stacks. Such separator partitions between the stacks are, indeed, needed in prior equipment wherein the mode of operation involves separately lowering the front and rear stacks during successive dispensing cycles, because of the tendency in such arrangements for any products in the stack that is being lowered, which may be engaging products of the other stack, to hang up and create a jammed condition. With the mechanisms 26 of the improved apparatus 20, however, when handling front and rear double-depth stacks in the same chamber 52, both stacks are always lowered simultaneously, so that there is no opportunity for such hang-ups to occur even when one or more products 54 of one stack have their ends in engagement with products 54 of the other stack. Structurally, this desirable result is achieved by the fact that the product supporting members 168 and 180 extend beneath and interact with the corresponding column of products 54 in both the front and rear stacks of a double-depth pair thereof and, when either of such members 168 or 180 is being moved from its product supporting to its product releasing position, the lowermost products of both stacks are simultaneously released to the appropriate escrowing assembly and both stacks are simultaneously lowered into supported relationship upon the other supporting member 180 or 168.

Secondly, those skilled in the art might expect that, without the provision of interstack dividers in chambers 52 handling double-depth pairs of staggered stacks, there might be some impairment of the antitheft protection function of the escrowing assemblies 184 and 186, by virtue of the natural initial assumption that the elimination of such divider partitions might permit a potential thief reaching up through the chute 28 into the bottom portion of the chamber 52 to shift a single product remaining in escrow to a position from which it might be removed without deposit of coinage or operation of the apparatus 20 through its next potential dispensing cycle. Referring initially to FIG. 12, it will be seen that the mechanism 26 while in this condition (or in the reversely oriented corresponding condition shown in FIG. 15) is not subject to any such manipulation of the escrowed products F-O-L and R-O-L (F-l-R and R-l-R in FIG. 15), because the dispositions of the supporting member 168, which is held in the illustrated position by the presence of the cam follower in the notch 148 of cam 144, and bar 190 of the escrowing assembly (member and bar 188 in FIG. 15) block any path of possible egress for the escrowed products even if a potential thief attempted to lift them out of the corresonding escrowing assembly. In the condition of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 13, however, as well as in the reversely oriented corresponding later condition of the apparatus 20 described hereinabove, one of the previously escrowed products 54 has just been released from the corresponding escrowing assembly so that only a single product F-O-L remains in the escrowing assembly, shown in FIG'. 13. Such escrowed product F-O-L has previously been released from the front one of the pair of staggered stacks and is being held in the front portion of the escrowing assembly between the movable component element 212' and the stationary leg 198. As will be apparent, however, the element 210' of the movable component of the opposite escrowing assembly is so configured and disposed that a potential thief grasping the product the same axially toward the rear for removal from between the element 210' and the opposed bar 190. However, in the condition of the apparatus 20 illustrated in FIG. 13 or the corresponding reversely oriented condition, it will be perceived that, except for the constructional and functional feature next to be mentioned, it might still be possible for a potential thief to lift the product F-O-L, while moving the same axially rearwardly, sufficiently to bring such product F-O-L into a rearward position for removal between the movable component element 210 and the opposite bar 190. As will be clearly seen from FIG. 13, however, such unauthorized movement of the product F-O-L could not occur because of the presence and blocking effect of the supporting member 168. Moreover, it will be further seen that with the apparatus 20 in this condition, the supporting member 168 is firmly held against upward swinging movement by the interengagement of the cam follower roller 170 with the upper portion of the notch 148 presented by the stem part 146 of the control cam 144. A comparable blocking action involving the supporting member 180, the cam follower 182 and the portion of notch 150 presented by stem part 146 of the control cam 144 occurs when the apparatus 20 is in that condition thereof corresponding to the condition of FIG. 13 but oppositely oriented from the latter. This arrangement provides positive protection against attempted theft of escrowed products 54 even during those stages of the operating cycle of the apparatus 20 when it otherwise might be assumed that the mechanism 26 would be most vulnerable to theft because of the presence of only a single escrowed product at that particular time within the relatively longer structural arrangement provided by the escrowing assembly.

Thus, the expense of providing and the possible necessity of adjusting an interstack dividing partition for each chamber 52 intended to handle double-depth stacks, as well as the considerable inconvenience which is experienced during loading of products 54 into a rear stack from the at least partial obstruction inherently presented by the use of any such dividing partitions, is avoided, without adversely affecting the anti-theft properties of the apparatus. In fact, in the latter regard, it is found that the improved apparatus 20 provides a degree of positive anti-theft security not heretofore realizable with prior staggered stack dispensing mechanisms either with or without interstack dividers.

Accordingly, it is believed that those skilled in the art should readily recognize and appreciate the versatility and other advantages of the apparatus 20 employing the preferred embodiment of the dispensing mechanism 26 or any substantial equivalent thereof. It will also be clear that certain minor modifications of some of the details of construction of the preferred embodiment disclosed for illustrative purposes could be made as a matter of design without departing from the essence and substance of the invention or materially affecting the operation and benefits provided by the improved apparatus 20. It is therefore desired that the invention should be deemed limited only by the fair scope of the subject matter of the claims that follow and mechanical equivalents thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for storing and successively dispensing products of at least one variety having a pair of opposite ends, an axis extending between said ends, and a generally symmetrical cross-sectional configuration transverse to said axis, said apparatus comprising:

a magazine means for each variety of said products to be stored and dispensed,

each magazine means providing a chamber for receiving a plurality of said products of the corresponding variety,

each magazine means including structure for maintaining at least a lower group of said products received in said chamber of said magazine means arranged in at least one staggered stack thereof with said axes of the individual products therein disposed in generally horizontal and substantially parallel directions, each stack having a pair of generally upn'ght, laterally offset columns of which at least the lower portions are partially interleaved, the lowest product of one or the other of said columns being the current lowermost product of the stack, is interengaging and partially underlying relationship to the lowest product of the opposite column, and in effective ultimate supporting relationship to all other products thereabove in both columns of the stack;

a pair of shiftable product-supporting means for each magazine means,

one of said pair of supporting means for each magazine means being movable between (i) a productsupporting position underlying one of said columns of at least one stack of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine means for engaging and supporting the lowermost product in said one stack when it is in said one column thereof and (ii) a product-releasing position for clearing said lowermost product for release and separation from said one stack when it is in said one column thereof,

the other of said pair of supporting means for each magazine means being movable between (i) a product-supporting position underlying the other of said columns of said one stack in said chamber of the corresponding magazine for engaging and supporting the lowermost product of said one stack when it is in said other column thereof and (ii) a product-releasing position for clearing said lowermost product for release and separation from said one stack when it is in said other column thereof;

a pair of product escrowing means for each magazine means,

each escrowing means including a shiftable component, I

said component of one of said pair of escrowing means for each magazine means being movable between (i) a product escrowing position for engaging and rendering said one escrowing means operative to escrow the previously lowermost product from said one stack of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine means when it has been released from said one column thereof by said one supporting means and (iii) an inactive disposition, through (ii) an intermediate product discharging position for clearing said product from said one stack escrowed by said one escrowing means for discharge therefrom, said component of the other of said pair of escrowing means for each magazine means being movable between (i) a product escrowing position for engaging and rendering said other escrowing means operative to escrow the previously lowermost product from said one stack of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine means when it has been released from said other column thereof by said other supporting means and (iii) an inactive disposition, through (ii) an intermediate product discharging position for clearing said product from said one stack escrowed by said other escrowing means for discharge therefrom; and control means for each magazine means operably coupled with said one and said other supporting means and said components of said one and said other escrowing means for said magazine means for cycling the same through a sequence of conditions in which, during one product dispensing operation, (a) initially, said one supporting means is in its releasing position, said other supporting means is in its supporting positions, said component of said one escrowing means is in its escrowing position, and said component of said other escrowing means is in its inactive disposition, later (b) said one supporting means is moved into its supporting position, said other supporting means remains in its supporting position, said component of said one escrowing means is moved into its discharging position, and said component of said other escrowing means remains in its inactive disposition, and later (c) said one supporting means is in its supporting position, said other supporting means is moved to its releasing position, said component of said one escrowing means is in its inactive disposition, and said component of said other escrowing means is moved into its escrowing position, and then, during a subsequent productdispensing operation, (d) said one supporting means remains in its supporting position, said other supporting means is moved to its supporting position, said component of said one escrowing means remains in its inactive disposition, and said component of said other escrowing means is moved into its discharging position, and later (e) the condition set forth under (a) above is restored, from which the aforesaid cycling may be continued for subsequent dispensing operations. 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure for each magazine means includes adjustable means for laterally confining said lower group of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine means. v

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure for each magazine means includes adjustable means for axially confining said lower group of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine chamber, a pair of laterally reciprocal means on said panel, tab means on opposite extremities of said reciprocable means for reception within said slot means at the corresponding side of the chamber, and means yieldably biasing said reciprocable means laterally outwardly in the directions of their respective tab means for urging said tab means on each reciprocable means into the corresponding slot means.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said product-supporting means for each magazine means are each mounted for independent swinging movement about respective pivotal axes disposed at opposite sides and adjacent the bottom of said chamber.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said product-supporting means for each magazine means is provided with a cam follower mounted thereon, and said control means includes cam means engageable with said cam followers for moving said supporting means between said supporting and releasing positions thereof.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said cam means are disposed below said follower means and support each of said follower means upon a circularly curved cam surface whenever the corresponding supporting means is in its product-supporting position.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said escrowing means for each magazine means includes a stationary part toward and away from which said shiftable component is movable, said component being relatively adjacent said stationary part when in its escrowing position and more remote therefrom when in its discharging position and its inactive disposition.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said stationary part of said one escrowing means is disposed generally beneath said other supporting means, and said stationary part of said other escrowing means is disposed generally beneath said one supporting means.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said components of said one and said other escrowing means for each magazine means are interconnected in spaced relationship to each other and are mounted for movement together about a common axis.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means for each magazine means includes a motor, a control cam, means coupling the motor with the control cam for turning the latter, means connecting said components of said escrowing means to said control cam for movement therewith, and follower means on each of said supporting means in overlying engagement with said control cam.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said coupling means oscillates said control cam in a rocking motion as said motor is operated,

13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said coupling means includes a crankshaft coupled with said motor for rotation thereby, a link pivotally connected to said crankshaft adjacent one end of the link, a rack adjacent the opposite end of the link, a pinion engaged with said rack, and means coupling said pinion with said control cam.

14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein is provided auxiliary cam means coupled with said motor for rotation thereby, switching means operably coupled with said auxiliary cam means for operation thereby and electrically coupled with said motor for controlling energization of the latter, said auxiliary cam means being operable to operate said switching means for de-energizing said motor after each product dispensing operation is completed.

15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of said magazine means to provide selection between a plurality of varieties of products, and a common discharge chute disposed for receiving products discharged from said escrowing means of any of said magazine means.

16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure for at least one magazine means maintains said lower group of received products in a doubledepth pair of said staggered stacks, one behind the other in the direction of said axes of said products; said product-supporting means for said one magazine means, when in their product-supporting positions, each extend beneath the corresponding column of both of said stacks and, when in their product-releasing positions, release the lowermost product from both of said stacks; said component of said one escrowing means is provided with a width extending element thereon engageable with an escrowed product from one of said stacks; said component of said other escrowing means is provided with a width extending element thereon engageable with an escrowed product from the other of said stacks; said components of said escrowing means for said one magazine means, when in their product escrowing positions, each engage and escrow a previously lowermost product from the corresponding column of both of said stacks and, when in their aforesaid primary discharging positions, discharge only the product previously escrowed from one of said stacks, but are provided with an auxiliary discharging position between said primary discharging position and said inactive disposition thereof and discharge the product previously escrowed from the other of said stacks when moved through said auxiliary discharging position.

17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said control means for said one magazine means is operable for cycling said supporting means and said components of said escrowing means, after said condition (b) thereof and during the next product dispensing operation thereafter, into a condition (b') in which said one supporting means remains in its supporting position, said other supporting means remains in its supporting position, said component of said one escrowing means is moved into its auxiliary discharging position, and said component of said other escrowing means remains in its inactive disposition, and subsequently, after said condition (d) thereof and during the next product dispensing operation thereafter, into a condition (d') in which said one supporting means remains in its supporting position, said other supporting means remains in its supporting position, said component of said one escrowing means remains in its inactive disposition, and said component of said other escrowing means is moved into its auxiliary discharging position.

18. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein each control means includes an electric motor, switching means electrically coupled with said motor for controlling energization thereof, and auxiliary cam means operably coupled with said switching means for operating the latter to de-energize said motor after each productdischarging operation.

19. Apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein said auxiliary cam includes a cam surface provided with depressions for operating said switching means at the conclusion of each of said operating cycle conditions (b), (b'), (d) and (d'), and a shiftable adjusting plate for selectively masking the depressions for operating the switching means for conditions (b') and (d') when only a single stack is to be handled in the corresponding magazine means.

20. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said control means for said one magazine means includes an electric motor, a control cam, means coupling the motor with the control cam for oscillating the latter, means connecting said components of said escrowing means to said control cam for movement therewith, follower means on each of said supporting means in overlying engagement with said control cam, auxiliary cam means coupled with the motor for rotation thereby, switching means operably associated with said auxiliary cam means for operation by the latter and electrically coupled with said motor for de-energizing the latter after each successive discharge of a product.

21. Apparatus for storing and successively dispensing generally cylindrical products from a plurality of plural columns, staggered stacks thereof arranged with corresponding products of corresponding columns of the respective stacks in end-facing, substantially axially aligned relationship to each other, without need to provide in said apparatus any divider means for maintaining endwise physical separation between the stacks in order to avoid jamming or deter pilferage, said apparatus comprising:

magazine means, including side walls and end walls,

arranged to provide an upright, horizontally uninterrupted and undivided chamber for receiving a plurality of said stacks of said products in said relationship to each other, there being a corresponding, lowermost product of each of said stacks in a corresponding column thereof upon which the remaining products of the same stack are supported and a corresponding, next-to-lowest product of each of said stacks in a different corresponding column thereof which will become the lowermost product of the same stack and upon which the remaining products of the same stack will be supported when said first mentioned lowermost products are released from the stacks;

a shiftable product-supporting means for each column of said stacks, each of said supporting means being common to all of said stacks and movable between (i) a product-supporting position thereof underlying the corresponding column of all of said stacks for engaging and supporting said lowermost products of all of said stacks when said lowermost products are in the corresponding column of said stacks, and (ii) a product-releasing position for clearing said lowermost products of all of said stacks for simultaneous release from said stacks when said lowermost products are in the corresponding column of said stacks;

operating means operably coupled with said supporting means for moving the one of said supporting means for the column then containing said next-tolowest products of said stacks to its said productsupporting position, and thereafter moving the other of said supporting means for the column 26 then containing said lowermost products of said escrowing means for successive dispensing thereof stacks from its said product-supporting position to from said apparatus; and

its said product-releasing position to simultaneously release all of said lowermost products from all of said stacks and to thereby permit all of said stacks to concurrently descend together until said previously next-to-lowest products of all of :2? fiifi gz z g zlgg tggg i'gl sgf products previously received by said escrowing means. g f t z zgzpzigzag s g f fi ifilgig 2: 22. Apparatus set forth in claim 21, wherein said ceiving and temporarily retaining in escrow all of escrowmg means Includes structure for f said lowermost products released from all of said anal fnovemenF of products whlle recewed stacks when said other supporting means is moved F and sfpportmg'means are so arranged and to its product releasing position; uxtaposed with said escrowmg means as to block suffiactuating means operably coupled with said escrow- Clem p movement of Products to clear Said i means f moving id hif bl component blocking structure while received in said escrowing thereof through a plurality of successive incremenmeans. tal steps each releasing a single product from said control means for operating said operating means to release another plurality of lowermost products from all of said stacks to said escrowing means after said actuating means has been actuated to release from said escrowing means the last of the 

1. Apparatus for storing and successively dispensing products of at least one variety having a pair of opposite ends, an axis extending between said ends, and a generally symmetrical crosssectional configuration transverse to said axis, said apparatus comprising: a magazine means for each variety of said products to be stored and dispensed, each magazine means providing a chamber for receiving a plurality of said products of the corresponding variety, each magazine means including structure for maintaining at least a lower group of said products received in said chamber of said magazine means arranged in at least one staggered stack thereof with said axes of the individual products therein disposed in generally horizontal and substantially parallel directions, each stack having a pair of generally upright, laterally offset columns of which at least the lower portions are partially interleaved, the lowest product of one or the other of said columns being the current lowermost product of the stack, is interengaging and partially underlying relationship to the lowest product of the opposite column, and in effective ultimate supporting relationship to all other products thereabove in both columns of the stack; a pair of shiftable product-supporting means for each magazine means, one of said pair of supporting means for each magazine means being movable between (i) a product-supporting position underlying one of said columns of at least one stack of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine means for engaging and supporting the lowermost product in said one stack when it is in said one column thereof and (ii) a productreleasing position for clearing said lowermost product for release and separation from said one stack when it is in said one column thereof, the other of said pair of supporting means for each magazine means being movable between (i) a product-supporting position underlying the other of said columns of said one stack in said chamber of the corresponding magazine for engaging and supporting the lowermost product of said one stack when it is in said other column thereof and (ii) a product-releasing position for clearing said lowermost product for release and separation from said one stack when it is in said other column thereof; a pair of product escrowing means for each magazine means, each escrowing means including a shiftable component, said component of one of said pair of escrowing means for each magazine means being movable between (i) a product escrowing position for engaging and rendering said one escrowing means operative to escrow the previously lowermost product from said one stack of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine means when it has been released from said one column thereof by said one supporting means and (iii) an inactive disposition, through (ii) an intermediate product discharging position for clearing said product from said one stack escrowed by said one escrowing means for discharge therefrom, said component of the other of said pair of escrowing means for each magazine means being movable between (i) a product escrowing position for engaging and rendering said other escrowing means operative to escrow the previously lowermost product from said one stack of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine means when it has been released from said other column thereof by said other supporting means and (iii) an inactive disposition, through (ii) an intermediate product discharging position for clearing said product from said one stack escrowed by said other escrowing means for discharge therefrom; and control means for each magazine means operably coupled with said one and said other supporting means and said components of said one and said other escrowing means for said magazine means for cycling the same through a sequence of conditions in which, during one product dispensing operation, (a) initially, said one supporting means is in its releasing position, said other supporting means is in its suPporting positions, said component of said one escrowing means is in its escrowing position, and said component of said other escrowing means is in its inactive disposition, later (b) said one supporting means is moved into its supporting position, said other supporting means remains in its supporting position, said component of said one escrowing means is moved into its discharging position, and said component of said other escrowing means remains in its inactive disposition, and later (c) said one supporting means is in its supporting position, said other supporting means is moved to its releasing position, said component of said one escrowing means is in its inactive disposition, and said component of said other escrowing means is moved into its escrowing position, and then, during a subsequent product dispensing operation, (d) said one supporting means remains in its supporting position, said other supporting means is moved to its supporting position, said component of said one escrowing means remains in its inactive disposition, and said component of said other escrowing means is moved into its discharging position, and later (e) the condition set forth under (a) above is restored, from which the aforesaid cycling may be continued for subsequent dispensing operations.
 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure for each magazine means includes adjustable means for laterally confining said lower group of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine means.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure for each magazine means includes adjustable means for axially confining said lower group of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine means.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said adjustable means includes a shiftable rear panel in said chamber, and means for selectively positioning and holding said panel including laterally opposed slot means in said magazine means at both sides of the chamber, a pair of laterally reciprocal means on said panel, tab means on opposite extremities of said reciprocable means for reception within said slot means at the corresponding side of the chamber, and means yieldably biasing said reciprocable means laterally outwardly in the directions of their respective tab means for urging said tab means on each reciprocable means into the corresponding slot means.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said product-supporting means for each magazine means are each mounted for independent swinging movement about respective pivotal axes disposed at opposite sides and adjacent the bottom of said chamber.
 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said product-supporting means for each magazine means is provided with a cam follower mounted thereon, and said control means includes cam means engageable with said cam followers for moving said supporting means between said supporting and releasing positions thereof.
 7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said cam means are disposed below said follower means and support each of said follower means upon a circularly curved cam surface whenever the corresponding supporting means is in its product-supporting position.
 8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said escrowing means for each magazine means includes a stationary part toward and away from which said shiftable component is movable, said component being relatively adjacent said stationary part when in its escrowing position and more remote therefrom when in its discharging position and its inactive disposition.
 9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said stationary part of said one escrowing means is disposed generally beneath said other supporting means, and said stationary part of said other escrowing means is disposed generally beneath said one supporting means.
 10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said components of said one and said other escrowing means for each magazine means are interconnected in Spaced relationship to each other and are mounted for movement together about a common axis.
 11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means for each magazine means includes a motor, a control cam, means coupling the motor with the control cam for turning the latter, means connecting said components of said escrowing means to said control cam for movement therewith, and follower means on each of said supporting means in overlying engagement with said control cam.
 12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said coupling means oscillates said control cam in a rocking motion as said motor is operated.
 13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said coupling means includes a crankshaft coupled with said motor for rotation thereby, a link pivotally connected to said crankshaft adjacent one end of the link, a rack adjacent the opposite end of the link, a pinion engaged with said rack, and means coupling said pinion with said control cam.
 14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein is provided auxiliary cam means coupled with said motor for rotation thereby, switching means operably coupled with said auxiliary cam means for operation thereby and electrically coupled with said motor for controlling energization of the latter, said auxiliary cam means being operable to operate said switching means for de-energizing said motor after each product dispensing operation is completed.
 15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of said magazine means to provide selection between a plurality of varieties of products, and a common discharge chute disposed for receiving products discharged from said escrowing means of any of said magazine means.
 16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure for at least one magazine means maintains said lower group of received products in a double-depth pair of said staggered stacks, one behind the other in the direction of said axes of said products; said product-supporting means for said one magazine means, when in their product-supporting positions, each extend beneath the corresponding column of both of said stacks and, when in their product-releasing positions, release the lowermost product from both of said stacks; said component of said one escrowing means is provided with a width extending element thereon engageable with an escrowed product from one of said stacks; said component of said other escrowing means is provided with a width extending element thereon engageable with an escrowed product from the other of said stacks; said components of said escrowing means for said one magazine means, when in their product escrowing positions, each engage and escrow a previously lowermost product from the corresponding column of both of said stacks and, when in their aforesaid primary discharging positions, discharge only the product previously escrowed from one of said stacks, but are provided with an auxiliary discharging position between said primary discharging position and said inactive disposition thereof and discharge the product previously escrowed from the other of said stacks when moved through said auxiliary discharging position.
 17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said control means for said one magazine means is operable for cycling said supporting means and said components of said escrowing means, after said condition (b) thereof and during the next product dispensing operation thereafter, into a condition (b'') in which said one supporting means remains in its supporting position, said other supporting means remains in its supporting position, said component of said one escrowing means is moved into its auxiliary discharging position, and said component of said other escrowing means remains in its inactive disposition, and subsequently, after said condition (d) thereof and during the next product dispensing operation thereafter, into a condition (d'') in which said one supporting means remains in its supporting position, said other supPorting means remains in its supporting position, said component of said one escrowing means remains in its inactive disposition, and said component of said other escrowing means is moved into its auxiliary discharging position.
 18. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein each control means includes an electric motor, switching means electrically coupled with said motor for controlling energization thereof, and auxiliary cam means operably coupled with said switching means for operating the latter to de-energize said motor after each product-discharging operation.
 19. Apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein said auxiliary cam includes a cam surface provided with depressions for operating said switching means at the conclusion of each of said operating cycle conditions (b), (b''), (d) and (d''), and a shiftable adjusting plate for selectively masking the depressions for operating the switching means for conditions (b'') and (d'') when only a single stack is to be handled in the corresponding magazine means.
 20. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said control means for said one magazine means includes an electric motor, a control cam, means coupling the motor with the control cam for oscillating the latter, means connecting said components of said escrowing means to said control cam for movement therewith, follower means on each of said supporting means in overlying engagement with said control cam, auxiliary cam means coupled with the motor for rotation thereby, switching means operably associated with said auxiliary cam means for operation by the latter and electrically coupled with said motor for de-energizing the latter after each successive discharge of a product.
 21. Apparatus for storing and successively dispensing generally cylindrical products from a plurality of plural columns, staggered stacks thereof arranged with corresponding products of corresponding columns of the respective stacks in end-facing, substantially axially aligned relationship to each other, without need to provide in said apparatus any divider means for maintaining endwise physical separation between the stacks in order to avoid jamming or deter pilferage, said apparatus comprising: magazine means, including side walls and end walls, arranged to provide an upright, horizontally uninterrupted and undivided chamber for receiving a plurality of said stacks of said products in said relationship to each other, there being a corresponding, lowermost product of each of said stacks in a corresponding column thereof upon which the remaining products of the same stack are supported and a corresponding, next-to-lowest product of each of said stacks in a different corresponding column thereof which will become the lowermost product of the same stack and upon which the remaining products of the same stack will be supported when said first mentioned lowermost products are released from the stacks; a shiftable product-supporting means for each column of said stacks, each of said supporting means being common to all of said stacks and movable between (i) a product-supporting position thereof underlying the corresponding column of all of said stacks for engaging and supporting said lowermost products of all of said stacks when said lowermost products are in the corresponding column of said stacks, and (ii) a product-releasing position for clearing said lowermost products of all of said stacks for simultaneous release from said stacks when said lowermost products are in the corresponding column of said stacks; operating means operably coupled with said supporting means for moving the one of said supporting means for the column then containing said next-to-lowest products of said stacks to its said product-supporting position, and thereafter moving the other of said supporting means for the column then containing said lowermost products of said stacks from its said product-supporting position to its said product-releasing position to simultaneously release all of said lowermost products from all of said stacks and to thereby permit all of said stacks to concurrently descend together until said previously next-to-lowest products of all of said stacks have moved into supported engagement with said one supporting means; escrowing means, including a shiftable component, below said supporting means for concurrently receiving and temporarily retaining in escrow all of said lowermost products released from all of said stacks when said other supporting means is moved to its product-releasing position; actuating means operably coupled with said escrowing means for moving said shiftable component thereof through a plurality of successive incremental steps each releasing a single product from said escrowing means for successive dispensing thereof from said apparatus; and control means for operating said operating means to release another plurality of lowermost products from all of said stacks to said escrowing means after said actuating means has been actuated to release from said escrowing means the last of the products previously received by said escrowing means.
 22. Apparatus as set forth in claim 21, wherein said escrowing means includes structure for blocking substantial axial movement of products while received therein, and said supporting means are so arranged and juxtaposed with said escrowing means as to block sufficient upward movement of products to clear said blocking structure while received in said escrowing means. 